The present technology relates to information processors, information processing methods, and computer program products for processing information input by users, and particularly to an information processor, an information processing method, and a computer program product for processing information, e.g., a comment, input by a user while content, e.g., a moving image, is being played back.
In existing systems, a viewer inputs comments on broadcasted television programs, moving images distributed via streaming from moving image-sharing sites on networks, or moving images being played back from Blu-ray Discs. For example, multiple users can share information by commenting on the same content such as a moving image or music.
In general, when a user adds a comment on content, e.g., a moving image, that is being played back, this comment is reflected after the entire comment has been input and confirmed. If a user inputs a long comment or if it takes a long time for the user to input a comment, inconvenience such as inclusion of the comment in a scene that does not match the comment occurs because playback of the content continues while the user is making the comment.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, suppose a user viewing playback content finds a scene to which the user wants to add a comment at a playback position TS, and starts inputting a comment, e.g., “greatest smile!,” and the input of the comment is confirmed when the playback position of the content proceeds to a playback position TF. Since it takes several to several tens of seconds to input the comment with a keyboard, however, if the comment is added at the playback position TF of the content at the time when the input is confirmed, the scene is likely to change while the playback position proceeds from TS to TF, resulting in the possibility that the comment is added to another scene that does not match the comment of “greatest smile!.”
To avoid this possibility, it may be necessary for the user to input a short comment quickly, which might miss the timing. In addition, if the user wants to rewrite the comment or make a relatively long comment, the moving image may be paused or rewound. Such operations hinder enjoyment of the moving image itself.
For example, there is a proposal of a comment distribution system that reads, from input comment information, a comment associated with a comment addition time corresponding to a playback time of a moving image being played back and displays the read-out comment together with the moving image (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-77443). The comment addition time, however, is the playback time of the moving image at the time when the comment is input, and thus, it is desirable for a user to input a short comment quickly in order to add a comment to its corresponding scene. If the user rewrites the comment or inputs a relatively long comment, the user will miss the timing at which the comment is to be input.